Grain-cleaner.



-Pffcrmwm) AUG. 28, 1906.

0. F. KIMB. A GRAIN CLEANER. APPLIUATION FILED 113.19, 190g.

WJTNESSES;

A NORM? V5 ru: Nomus PsrsRs cal. wAsHrNcroN, n. c.

lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

R ORVILLE F. KIME, OF GALION, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK J. FRAME,

OF SHILOH, OHIO.

GRAIN-CLEANER.

N o. 829,404. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 28, 1906. DApplication filed February 19 1906. Serial No. 301,871- I To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, ORvILLE F. KIME, a citizen of the United States,residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Grain- Cleaner, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to grain-cleaning devices such as are generallyknown `as fanning-mills and to devices generally where a rotary fan isutilized for the purpose of producing a blast, the object of theinvention being to equalize the force of the blast throughout the lengthof the fan-casing.

Other objects of the invention are to simplify and improve theconstruction and operation of this class of devices.

With these and other ends in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts,which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, showing the same applied to a grain-cleaningmachine or fanning-mill of ordinary construction, it being, however,understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precisestructural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations, andmodifications within the scope of the invention may be made whendesired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional viewtaken through a fanning-mill equipped with the invention and showingonly as much of the fanning-mill as is necessary to enable the inventionto be understood. Fig. 2 is a detail view in elevation of a portion ofthe fan-casing. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a portion ofthe side of the fan-casing and parts adjacent thereto,

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

1 designates the frame or casing of a fanning-mill of ordinaryconventional construction.

2 is a fan casing or chamber which is provided with an air-inlet 3 andwith a discharge slit or aperture 4, which maybe of any desireddimensions and which communicates with the throat 5, into which grain isdischarged from the shoe 6, as usual. The throat has a curvedbreastplate8, over which the clean grain is discharged through an aperture 9 in thebottom of the casing. Dust, chaff, and the like are discharged throughthe upper end of the throat 5,

he fan-casing is provided at the ends thereof with guide-cleats 10 for acurved closure 11, which is concentric with the fan-casing and which isadapted to close the slit er discharge-aperture 4 of the latter. Theclosure 11 is provided at the ends thereof with rack-segments 12,meshing with pinions 13 upon a shaft 14, supported in suitable bearingsin the casing of the machine andv having a handle, as 15, whereby it maybe conveniently manipulated. The edges of the closure 1l are providedwith stiffening or reinforcing strips 16, of wood or metal, whereby saidclosure, which will be usually constructed of sheetmetal, will besuitably stiffened and reinforced. The rack-segments 12 have been shownas provided with perforated lugs 17 for the passage of fastening means,such as bolts or rivets 18, whereby they are connected with the closureand with the reinforcingstrips. A shaft 19, supported for rotationcentrally in the fan-casing, isprovided with a fan of ordinaryconstruction, including radial arms 20 and wings 21.

It has been proved by actual demonstration that air entering a cylinder,such as a fancasing, at the ends thereof and discharged through alongitudinal opening in the cylinder by means of a fan rotating withinthe latter will form a column that is somewhat stronger in the centerthan at the ends. This has been obviously seriously objectionable inmachines such as fanning-mills used for cleaning grain and likesubstances for the reason that by using a current sufiiciently strong toeffect a thorough cleansing valuable material would be carried olf withthe refuse, while by lowering the intensity of the current the cleansingprocess would be non-effective. Various ways have been devised toovercome this objection, but with no great success. I have found that byproperly regulating the area of the discharge slit or aperture of thefan-casing the pressure within the latter would be equalized, thuscreating ICO an air current or blast of equal intensity throughout thewidth ofthe casing, low pressure, created by low-speed rotation of thefan, requiring but a small discharging area, while high pressure, causedby high-speed rotation of the fan, naturally requires a larger dischargearea. Said discharge area may be very easily and accurately gaged by theim proved closure of the present invention, which being concentric withthe fan-casing will not at any time project into either the throat ofthe machine or into the fan-casing, thereby interfering with andpractically defeating the accomplishment of the ends of the invention.One of the bearings 22 of the shaft 14 has been shown as provided with athumb-screw 23 adapted to pressl against the shaft for the purpose ofretaining the latter and the closure operated thereby in adjustedposition.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawingshereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

The construction of the improved device is extremely simple, and it maywith little difl ficulty and a small expense be installed uponfanning-mills and other machines of a similar nature where its presenceshall be deemed desirable.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A cylindricalfan-casing having an airinlet and a discharge-aperture in the sidethereof, a closure bent upon the same arc as that of the fan-casing,strips located at the upper and lower edges of said closure,segment-racks attached to said closure and being connected with saidstrips,l and an operating-shaft supported for rotation and havingpinions meshing with said raclis.

2. A cylindrical fan-casing having an airinlet and a discharge-aperturein the side thereof, guide-cleats adjacent to the ends of thedischarge-aperture, a closure supported at its ends 1n said cleats andbeing bent on the same arc as the fan-casing, segmental racks attachedto the lclosure and being lo cated in close proximity to saidguide-cleats, a shaft supported for rotation and having pinions meshingwith said racks, strips located at the edges of the closure andconnectin@y said segment-racks together.

n testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature-in the presence of two witnesses.

ORVILLE F. KIME.

Witnesses z J. W. MGCARRON, D. E. ZIMMERMAN.

